1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and system of communication system. Specifically, the embodiments of this invention are directed towards ion infrastructure of an automated inventory system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most industrial operations, supplies are stored in centrally located storerooms, tool cribs or lockers. These supplies are manually requisitioned and taken to a work area to be used. The removal of these supplies is later input into an inventory system, often manually. Due to the inherent lag between removal and input, the inventory data is rarely up-to-date.
Thus frequently supplies that appear to be available on the inventory system may actually have been already used. When supplies reach critically low levels, they have to be reordered on an expedited or emergency basis, often at a premium, to minimize disruption of the work flow. The alternative is to maintain inventory at an unnecessarily high level, which increases overhead costs and decreases cash flow.
As long as inventory data is updated in an auditing manner, i.e., post use, it cannot reflect the actual availability of supplies. This shortcoming is exacerbated by increases in the turnover rate of supplies. When the turnover of supplies is slow compared to the lag, the probability of critical shortages is small. However, as the turnover of supplies increases, so does the lag because more inventory data has to be input, thereby increasing the likelihood that supplies that appear as available on the inventory system have already been used. Thus the frequency of critical shortages also increases.